Doctor refusal 'saddening,' says opposition

Premier Robert Ghiz's refusal to grant the eastern P.E.I. community of Georgetown's request for a family doctor shows the government is not ready to work with rural areas, says Opposition MLA Mike Currie.

'They are not asking for everything.' Opposition MLA Mike Currie

Georgetown had lined up a doctor ready to start a practice, and was prepared to build a health centre complete with a pharmacy for her, but the Health Department said it needed to hire in nearby Montague.

"This is an opportunity where communities are leading the way and they are trying to be pro-active and partner with government," Currie told CBC News Wednesday.

"They are not asking for everything. The town was prepared to make the investment. And it's a precedent. It demonstrates they are not prepared to work with rural P.E.I. and that's saddening."

Murray River also seeks doctor

Health Minister Doug Currie said seven other communities, apart from Georgetown, are asking for family doctors.

One of those is Murray River.

Jamie Richards, chair of the Northumberland Community Development Corporation, said there's a building in the community the group would like to turn into a health centre, and it has requested a doctor.

"I think there is a need for it with a senior citizens' home in Murray River, [in] Murray Harbour and another care facility that Murray Harbour is working on," said Richards.

"I'm quite sure we have enough of a population base."

The health minister notes 17 physicians have been recruited to Prince Edward Island in the last five months, in areas across the province.

But that has not filled the complements, or numbers of doctors deemed necessary, for all communities. In order to reach the full provincial complement, the government needs to recruit at least six more specialists, two family doctors and two other physicians.

Currie said thegovernment has to fill those vacancies before it considers adding new physicians.

"Complements are extremely challenging to fill in this recruitment environment for physicians," he said.

"Obviously our first priority is to settle the complements, and then once the complements are filled looking at new opportunities in various communities."

Richards said he knows getting a doctor could be a long process, but his group is optimistic despite Georgetown's experience. The health minister is making no promises.

Mike Currie calls the provincial position a disturbing trend where the government pits rural and urban Islanders against each other in the battle for health services. He is demanding the province reconsider its position or look at a compromise of getting a doctor to cover a number of areas for one or two days a week.